Apparatus for padding and other subsequent treatment of loose stock textile fibers



L. DRAGO APPARATUS FOR PADDING AND OTHER SUBSEQUENT TREATMENT OF LOOSE STOCK TEXTILE FIBERS 4 SheetS -Sheet 1 Filed June 7, 1966 INVENTOR.

LEO DRAGO BMW ATTORNEYS Sept. 16, 1969 L. DRAGO 3,466,899

APPARATUS FOR PADDING AND OTHER SUBSEQUENT TREATMENT OF LOOSE STOCK TEXTILE FIBERS Filed June 7, 1966 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

LEO DRAGO BWIM ATTORNEYS Sept. 16, 1969 1.. DRAGO 3,466,899

APPARATUS FOR PADDING AND OTHER SUBSEQUENT TREATMENT OF LOOSE STOCK TEXTILE FIBERS Filed June 7, 1966 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 l4 INVENTOR.

74 5 70 LEO DRAGO 76 jfiwaeeg ATTORNEYS Sept. 16, 1969 L, DRAGO 3,466,899

APPARATUS FOR PADDING AND OTHER SUBSEQUENT TREATMENT OF LOOSE STOCK TEXTILE FIBERS Filed June 7, 1966 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR.

, 1 20 LEO DRAGO ATTORNEYS United States Patent US. Cl. 685 13 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Apparatus for padding and steaming loose fiber stock comprising a padding station having a pair of rollers mounted above each other with their axes in parallel position in a substantially vertical plane and spaced from each other so as to constitute a pad mangle, means for preparing and shaping the loose stock to be treated so that it is given the appearance of an untufted mattress, conveying means for transporting the mattress to the vicinity of the said pad mangle, chute or sliding means ending at the level of the plane of contact of the two rollers of the pad mangle with each other and close to the entry side for that mangle, reciprocating pusher means for pushing successive zones of the stock mattress away from the end of said chute or sliding means between said pair of rollers of the pad mangle, means for applying pad liquor to the upper one of the two rollers constituting the pad mangle on the entry side of the mangle, and means for removing impregnated and squeezed stock emerging from the opposite side of the pad mangle and directing the mat or carpet of impregnated and squeezed stock material formed in the mangle toward the entrance of the steaming zone; and a steaming unit having means for introducing the matted stock into a steaming chamber while simultaneously substantially sealing the latter chamber against the escape of steam, a steam chamber equipped with means for the introduction of steam, conveying means for transporting the stock through the steam chamber to the exit thereof, and stock discharge means preferably serving to seal the exit against undue loss of steam.

This invention relates to apparatus for continuously padding with an impregnation liquor, and particularly for pad-dyeing, and for fixation of impregnating agent by heating in a humid medium, especially by steaming, of loose stock of textile fibers, in particular such stock consisting of natural or synthetic polyamide fibers, cellulosic fibers such as cotton, acrylic fibers, stable rayon, modified polyester fibers and the like. The invention further relates to process for the above-described treatment of such fibers.

It is well known that the impregnation of such loose stock with pad liquors containing dyestuff and/ or brighteners and/ or other agents for improving the properties of such textile fibers, namely, for instance, shrink-proofing agents, bleaching agents, crease-proofing agents, mothproofing agents, antistatic agents and the like, by using padding apparatus comprising a so-called pad mangle meets with considerable difficulties which are not encountered when treating, and especially when dyeing textile fiber materials which are not in the form of loose stock, but rather in the form of slubbing or tow.

One main difficulty in thus treating loose stock resides in introducing the stock of such fibers between the rollers of a pad mangle, and to pass the stock therethrough in 3,466,899 Patented Sept. 16., 1969 ice a continuous manner, and not only in batches. Another difficulty resides in applying the pad liquor to the stock in such a manner that it does not impede passage of the resulting impregnated material through the pad mangle, due to the accumulation of fibrous material in front of the mangle. Yet another difficulty resides in impregnating the material so that satisfactory uniformity of impregnation of all portions of continuous mat of fiber stock is fully ensured during the subsequent humid heat treatment. This heat treatment is usually carried out with steam and will be referred to hereinafter as steaming.

In an attempt to solve these problems, apparatus has been developed which comprises a pair of rollers mounted one above the other to constitute a pad mangle and the lower roller serving simultaneously as a guide or breastroller for an endless conveyor belt, of resilient material, preferably rubber, the upper reach of which belt extends in horizontal direction and serves to transport the loose stock towards and into the pad mangle. Pad liquor is being sprayed from one or several spray nozzles onto the stock which is being carried on the conveyor belt towards the pad mangle. Excess pad liquor is then squeezed off in the mangle and the matted material emerging on the other side of the mangle is then conducted downwardly into a steaming zone. The latter consists usually of a horizontally extending tube or duct into which the impregnated and squeezed mat of loose stock is being pushed by suitable mechanical means which are arranged for reciprocating action in association with the steaming tube or duct.

Such treatment and apparatus while representing a considerable progress in the art of pad dyeing loose stock, still suffers from a number of drawbacks. One of these is lack of control of the material sprayed with pad liquor on the upper reach of the conveyor belt, as the fiber mattress formed approaches the pad mangle, since the liquor easily flows off the sides of the belt and will carry some of the stock with it. Another drawback is the formation of foam in and on the stock before entering the pad mangle, which occurs particularly when certain foamforming dyeing auxiliaries are present in the pad liquor as is usually desirable in present day pad-dyeing. Such foam is detrimental to proper and uniform impregnation of the entire fiber mass with the pad liquor. A third drawback is the relatively short life of the conveyor belts which are usually made of rubber or similar material and are exposed to high mechanical stresses, e.g. pressure between the rollers of the pad mangles and bending. Difiiculties are also encountered when attempting to introduce stock of particularly short fibers having fine deniers into a pad mangle of such known apparatus; it has been found that only staple fibers of about 15 deniers or thicker and at least about four inches of length are satisfactorily carried between the rollers of a pad mangle while shorter fibers of less deniers have a tendency to form a pulpy agglomeration at the feed side of the mangle.

It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide process and apparatus for the padding and subsequent steaming of loose fibers stock, which avoids at least some or all of the above-enumerated drawbacks.

This object is attained in the apparatus and process of padding and steaming loose fiber stock consisting of fibers of such types as have been listed hereinbefore, the apparatus according to the invention comprising, in a padding station, a pair of rollers mounted above each other with their axes in parallel position in a substantially vertical plane and spaced from each other, so as to constitute a pad mangle, means for preparing and shaping the loose stock to be treated so that it is given the appearance of an untufted mattress wherefore it will be referred to hereinafter as the mattress conveying means for transporting the mattress to the vicinity of the said pad mangle, chute or sliding means ending at the level of the plane of contact of the two rollers of the pad mangle with each other and close to the entry side for that mangle, down which sliding means the said mattress of loose stock slides into contact with said mangle, reciprocating pusher means for pushing successive zones of the stock mattress away from the end of said chute or sliding means between said pair of rollers of the pad mangle, said mattress being drawn into the contact region of said rollers, means for applying pad liquor to the upper one of the two rollers constituting the pad mangle on the entry side of the mangle and preferably in an upper zone so that a continuous, coherent and uniform film of pad liquor is carried by said upper roller downwardly toward the contact zone with the lower pad mangle roller, the roller surface bearing said liquor film being contacted by the surface of the stock somewhat above said contact zone, means for removing impregnated and squeezed stock emerging from the opposite side of the pad mangle .and directing the mat or carpet of impregnated and squeezed stock material formed in the mangel toward the entrance of the steaming zone; furthermore, in a steaming unit, means for introducing the matted stock into a steaming chamber while simultaneously substantially sealing the latter chamber against the escape of steam, such means being preferably constituted by a pair of feed rollers of no substantial pressure on the matted stock so that the moisture content of the stock remains substantially the same as when leaving the pad mangle, the steam chamber proper; means for the introduction of steam into the latter, the steam being preferably saturated in the case of dyeing e.g., wool, or slightly superheated, especially when dyeing acrylic fiber stock; conveying means for transporting the stock through the steam chamber to the exit thereof; and stock discharge means, which latter means serve preferably to seal the exit end of the steam chamber against undue losses of steam.

The padding and steaming process according to the invention thus comprises, as most essential features, feeding .a continuous mattress of preferably pre-matted stock to an impregnating and squeezing zone, with the aid of reciprocating conveying means, especially carrier or pushing means, applying to the stock immediately prior to the exertion of pressure thereon, on the upper side thereof, a thin, preferably coherent film of pad liquor, thereby substantially or completely avoiding foam formation at this process phase; squeezing and simultaneously thoroughly impregnating the loose stock in the said impregnation and pressure zone, with the previously applied impregnation liquor; optionally detaching the mat of stock emerging from the said impregnation and pressure zone; guiding the resulting impregnated and squeezed mat into a steaming zone; in the latter zone exposing the mat to steam which is preferably saturated or slightly superheated, whereby the mat is blown up, i.e., its volume is considerably increased, which phenomenon is largely aided by foam formation produced by foam-forming agents in the pad liquor, and conveying the loose impregnated and blown up stock preferably in substantially horizontal or upwardly inclined direction toward the exit end of the steaming zone and from there through one or several conventional washing or rinsing baths and one or several baths giving the washed material an aftertreatment applying thereto, for instance, antistatic or moth-proofing agents or the like, and finally conventional drying means.

It is particularly important in the process of the invention, that penetration of the impregnation liquor film into the pre-matted loose stock does not occur too early, but as close as possible to the entry into the impregnation and pressure zone proper.

Another important feature of the apparatus according to the invention resides in the above mentioned reciprocating pusher means which serve to carry pre-matted stock to which there is simultaneously applied the above men- 4 tioned film of pad liquor, into direct engagement with the two rollers constituting the pad mangle, whereby such mat is safely drawn into and through the above mentioned impregnation and pressure zone constituted by the contact region of the aforesaid two rollers.

If contact between the pad liquor and the pre-matted stock occurs too early, i.e., too remote from the said contact-region, then, especially if the stock consists largely of short, fine denier fibers, the stock will have a tendency to form pulpy accumulations in front of the contact zone and can then not be drawn into the latter safely and continuously, but rupture of the mattress or stock is liable to occur.

Before the fibrous material to be treated enters the apparatus according to the invention, it is passed from a feeding device to other conventtional devices which serve at the same time to spread the fibrous materia and to impart thereto a certain compactness of substantially uniform density so as to form what has been termed a mattress hereinbefore. Such devices comprise, for example, a hopper which loads the fibrous material, for instance wool,, cotton, synthetic fibers such as nylon, acrylic fibers, polyester fibers and the like, or blends thereof, onto conveying means which carry the material to an adjustable device for spreading and levelling material and equalizing its thickness; and further through a device which serves, on the one hand, to eliminate knotted and/ or hardened fibers and, on the other hand, spreads the material out on the conveying means to form a fibrous layer, the so-called mattress, of substantially uniform thickness and density.

These and other features of the invention will be further explained by the following detailed description of presently preferred forms of apparatus taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which FIGURE 1 represents a first, preferred embodiment of an apparatus according to the invention, the padding unit being shown in a broken perspective view and the entry zone of the steaming unit in schematical sectional sideview;

FIGURE 2 represents in schematical sectional side view the exit zone of the steaming unit of the apparatus shown in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 shows a sectional side view of the padding unit of the apparatus shown in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 shows a schematical side view of an embodiment similar to that of FIGURES 1 and 2, but with somewhat different construction of the steaming unit;

FIGURE 5 shows in broken sectional side view a second embodiment of a padding unit in an apparatus according to the invention;

FIGURE 6 shows in broken sectional view yet another embodiment of a padding unit in an apparatus according to the invention, and

FIGURE 7 represents a top view of pusher means in the embodiment shown in FIG. 6.

Referring now to the drawings more in detail and particularly to the embodiment thereof shown in FIGURES l and 2, the apparatus illustrated therein is preceded by the loading, spreading and mattress-forming devices mentioned hereinbefore, which devices are not illustrated in the drawings since they consist of apparatus which are well known in the textile fiber industry and do not form a part of this invention, there being shown in FIGURE 3 only the discharge end of a conveyor belt 10, the other end of which (not shown) is connected to the above-mentioned spreading and mattress-forming devices.

The embodiment of the apparatus according to the invention, as shown in FIGURES 1 and 2, comprises a chute 12 the lower edge of which is mounted in a cross bar 14. The latter is disposed in front of and parallel with the contact zone of a pair of rollers 16 and 18 the axes of which are disposed one above the other in a substantially vertical plane, the rollers thus constituting a pad mangle. Each of the rollers is provided on its surface with a coating 20, 22, respectively, of elastically resilient material such as rubber.

The pressure exercised by the two rollers 16 and 18 in the contact region 17 can be adjusted by changing the distance between the two rollers in the contact region 17, for instance by shifting the position of roller 18 in its vertical supporting columns, one of which is shown schematically at 11 and is provided with a hydraulic pressure device 13.

The cross bar 14 is provided with a longitudinal slot 15 through a reciprocating blade 24 acting as a pusher passes into close vicinity of the contact region 17 between rollers 16, 18, the plane in which the blade extends being substantially tangential to rollers 16 and 18 in that region. Blade 24 is connected by means of connecting rods 25, 25 to excenter rings 26, 26 rotatably mounted on excenter discs 27, 27', respectively, which discs are in turn fixedly mounted on an excenter shaft 28 which is driven via transmission means 29 by a motor 23.

Above roller 18, there is arranged an impregnation liquor storage and feeding device 30 comprising a reservoir 31 which is filled up to a level controlled by an overflow tube (not shown) with an impregnation liquor, e.g., a dye liquor, bleaching liquor or optical brightening liquor or the like, which is fed into the reservoir through a feed pipe 33.

Feeding device 30 further comprises a feed tank 32 to which the impregnation liquor is supplied from reservoir 31 through adjustable feed valves 34, 34'. In feed tank 32 there is provided an overflow 35 past which liquor flows down a weir plate 38, the lower edge of which is parallel to the axis of roller 18 and adjacent to the periphery of the latter, on the same side thereof on which the pusher blade 24 is located.

On the opposite side of rollers 16 and 18, i.e., on the discharge side of the pad mangle, there are arranged scraping and transporting means and 42, each of which preferably consists of guide rollers 41 about which there is mounted a conveyer belt 43, or 44, respectively, which consists preferably of a chain and lattice type. Alternatively the scraping means may consist of oscillating blades as shown schematically in FIGURE 3.

The conveyer belts of scraping and transporting means 40 and 42 contact the cylindrical walls of rollers 16 and 18, respectively, in a portion of their respective peripheries and scrape off any fibrous material adhering thereto after leaving the contact region 17.

Rollers 16 and 18 and the conveyor belts 43 and 44 rotate in the respective directions indicated by arrows.

In order to facilitate removal of adhering fibrous material from the walls of rollers 16 and 18 still further, nozzles 45 and 46 can be provided as shown in FIG- URE 3, through which nozzles compressed air is blown tangentially against the roller walls in the direction of rotation of the respective roller.

Below roller 16 there is arranged a trough-shaped vessel for gathering excess impregnation liquor dripping from that roller and from conveyor belt 43, as the case may be. A pipe 56 which is provided with a pump (not shown) serves to pump excess liquor gathered in vessel 55 back into reservoir 31.

Below the padding unit constituted by the parts of the apparatus described hereinbefore, and on the discharge side of rollers 16 and 18, there is arranged the steaming unit of the apparatus, which comprises as essential parts a steam chamber having an entry opening at 61, as shown in FIGURE 1, and a discharge end at 62, which is shown in FIGURE 2.

The chamber 60 is housed in a heat-insulated casing 63.

In the opening 61 there is arranged a pair of conveyor rollers 50 and 51 which serve to close the said opening sufi'iciently so as to prevent the loss of undue amounts of steam from the steam chamber 60. Guide rollers 50 and 51 have a contact region with each other through which impregnated material conveyed from the pad mangle (rollers 16 and 18) by conveyor belt 43 is fed into the interior of the steam chamber 60.

Nozzles 52 and 53 provided in the Wall of steam chamber 60 close to the rollers 50 and 51 serve for blowing steam into the chamber and are so positioned as to direct steam against and tangentially past these rollers.

Above the bottom of the steam chamber 60, there is arranged in the latter a conveying device comprising a conveyor belt 66 and guide and drive rollers 67 whereby the conveyor belt 66 is actuated from a motor 70 shown in FIGURE 4. A slanted plate 69 assists in directing the fibrous material onto the conveyor belt 66.

The conveyor belt 66 is disposed preferably at an upwardly inclined angle to end flush with the outlet opening 68.

Above the bottom 65 of the steaming chamber 60, but below the conveying belt 66, there is provided a perforated steam inlet tube 72 which is in turn connected to a steam source (not shown).

In those cases where it is desirable to use saturated steam in the steam chamber 60'; but only superheated steam is available from the steam source of the plant, it is possible to provide a Water sump in the bottom portion of the chamber 60, the level of which sump is controlled by an overflow 74, which may also serve as water inlet; and is controlled by a valve 76. The superheated steam can then be passed through this sump and be converted to saturated steam.

Outside and on the end wall of the steam chamber 60, at the discharge end of the latter, a discharge duct is provided which duct communicates through outlet opening 68 with the steam chamber. At its lower end, duct 80 is provided with a discharge opening 82 through which the steamed fiber material is discharged onto a conveyor belt 84 or the like conveying means. Escape of steam from the steam chamber 60 via duct 80 is prevented by a flap 86 which is hingedly mounted at 88 at the top rim of opening 82. Flap 86 closes opening 82 at the beginning of the operation of the apparatus according to the invention and is pushed open by the weight of fibrous material descending through duct 80 just suificiently to permit the latter to leave the duct in a continuous manner, while still preventing any undue escape of steam through opening 82.

In the embodiment shown in FIGURE 4 the discharge arrangement shown in FIGURE 2 is replaced by a pair of conveyor rollers 90, 91 between which the mass of steamed fibrous material is drawn out of steam chamber 60. Rollers 90 and 91 effectively prevent the escape of undue amounts of steam throughout outlet opening 68. In the embodiments of padding units shown in FIGURES 5 and 6, like reference numerals indicate the same parts as in FIGURE 1. In the embodiment shown in FIG- URE 5, chute 12 is replaced by a curved plate 112 provided with a cavity 113 which opens at the lower edge of curved plate 112 and into which cavity a reciprocating pusher blade 115 is inserted. Reciprocation of pusher blade 115, which is itself of curved cross section, the curvature of which is the same as that of curved plate 112, is effected by eccentric means 125, 126, 127 and 128 which have exactly the same function as the corresponding parts 25, 26, 27 and 28 in the embodiment shown in FIGURE 1.

In the embodiment shown in FIGURES 6 and 7, chute 12 is replaced by a slanted plate 212 which guides fibrous material dropping off conveyor belt 10 onto a grid device 200 which consists of stationary grid bars 214 and movable grid bars 215 placed in interstices between grid bars 214. The movable grid bars 215 are mounted by connecting members 216 and 217 on outer eccentric rings 218 and 219 which surround eccentric discs 220 and 221, respectively. The latter are mounted on drive-shafts 222 and 223 which are driven by a motor (not shown).

The process according to the invention as carried out in practice with the apparatus described hereinbefore, is explained in detail in the following:

Supposing for instance that a textile loose stock is to be dyed, such material is spread on the conveyor belt 10 so as to form a mattress B of uniform thickness and composition. From the conveyor 10 it passes onto the chute 12; while the material slides down the chute 12, its upper surface contacts the uniform liquor film C extending over the entire length of roller 18, and through adhesion thereto on the one hand, and successive forward motions of pusher blade 15, on the other hand, the mattress is drawn and pushed, respectively, into the contact region 17.

The speed of rollers 16 and 18 is such that the film of impregnation liquor on roller 16 is not interrupted. This is achieved by regulating the speed of the motor (not shown) which drives the rollers, for instance by intercalation of a suitable variable transmission gear.

The squeezing effect on the impregnated fibers is such that about 80 to 180%, and still better, between 100 and 130% of liquor, calculated on the dry weight of the impregnated material, remain in the latter. This efiect is determined by the pressure exercised by the two rollers on the material.

By appropriate pressure applied on roller 18, there is attained a uniform penetration of the impregnation liquor into the interior of the mattress B. The passage of the material through the contact zone 17 and its impregnation with the liquor requires only a few seconds. Adjustment of the flow rate of impregnation liquor through valves 34, 34' controls the thickness and velocity of the liquor film past the weir 38 and downwardly over the surface of roller 18. Formation of a pool at the zone of contact between the upper surface of the mattress of loose stock and the cylinder wall of roller 18 should be avoided.

Scraping devices 40 and 42 maintain the surfaces of rollers 16 and 1S clean and device 40 also lifts the mat B of impregnated and squeezed material from roller 16 and conveys it to guide rollers 50 and 51, which latter introduce it into the interior of the steaming chamber 60 practically free from squeezing effects, so that the liquor content of the material remains unchanged.

In the chamber 60, the mattress disintegrates and falls down onto conveyor 66, free from contact with any mechanical obstacles. Saturated or slightly superheated steam is blown through orifices 52 and 53 in the direction toward the rollers 50 and 51 and blows oif any material adhering to these rollers; this steam instantaneously heats the cloud of falling material thoroughly to about 100 C., simultaneously causing a so-called blowing effect which increases the voluminosity of the material, depending on the presence of the necessary blowing agent.

The material gathers in large loose heaps on the conveyor belt 66 and is transported toward exit opening 68. While on the belt 66, it is exposed to the action of saturated or slightly superheated steam from steam inlet 72 which completes the fixation of the active substance or substances in the material introduced thereinto from the liquor.

The time of travel of the material on conveyor belt 66 and exposure to steam is controlled by adjustment of the rate of travel of the conveyor belt 66 so as to last for about 10 to 60 minutes, depending on the nature of the fiber material and the agents with which the latter has been impregnated.

The material then leaves the steaming chamber by way of duct 80, and is thereafter subjected to one or several after-treatments among which there may be rinsing once and preferably two or three times in water having a temperature between 30 and 80 C.

In addition to the roller pair 16, 18, one or several such pairs of rollers constituting a second, third or fourth etc. pad mangle can be interposed intermediate the first mangle and the guide rollers 50, 51. Each of such additional pairs can be equipped with an impregnating liquor feeding assembly 30, so that it is possible to impregnate one and the same mattress of material with different agents successively.

I claim:

1. An apparatus for the padding with an impregnation liquor and subsequent heat-treatment, in humid medium, of loose stock of fibrous material, comprising:

(a) a padding station, and

(b) a steaming station,

said padding station comprising:

(1) a pad mangle consisting of an upper and a lower pressure roller having a contact region therebetween, said pad mangle having an entry side to and an exit side from said contact region;

(2) means for applying a film of said impregnation liquor to said upper cylinder on said entry side of said pad mangle, in such a manner as to cause the film to fiow downwardly over the surface of said upper roller into said contact region;

(3) conveying means having a discharge end and being adapted for carrying a mattress of said loose fiber stock to the vicinity of said pad mangle on the entry side thereof, and there unloading said stock at a level substantially corresponding to that of said contact region;

(4) pusher means disposed between the discharge end of said conveying means and said contact region; (5) drive means for imparting reciprocating movement to said pusher means, whereby the latter, during each movement away from said discharge end and toward said contact region, push a portion of said mattress into the said region; and

(6) means disposed on the exit side of the pad mangle in contact with said upper and lower roller, and being adapted for scraping off loose stock adhering to said rollers, and for conveying a mat of compressed and impregnated fibrous material emerging on the exit side of said pad mangle from said contact region toward said steaming station; said steaming station comprising (7) an elongated steam chamber having a feed opening in the upper portion thereof and a discharge opening at the end of said chamber opposite said feed opening;

(8) means for guiding said mat coming from said pad mangle into said feed opening of said steam chamber and simultaneously sealing the latter against substantial losses of steam from said steam chamber;

(9) steam injection means disposed inside said steam chamber near the feed opening thereof and adapted for directing steam into contact with the mat of fibrous material as it enters said steam chamber;

(10) conveying'means inside said steam chamber for transporting steamed material from the vicinity of said feed opening toward said discharge opening;

(11) means disposed in the lower portion of said steam chamber and adapted for introducing steam into the fibrous material which is being transported on said conveying means defined under (10); and

(12) means for discharging the steamed fibrous material through said discharge opening from said steam chamber and simultaneously sealing said discharge opening of said chamber against substantial losses of steam from the latter.

2. In an apparatus for the padding with an impregnation liquor and subsequent heat-treating in a humid medium, of loose stock of fibrous material, comprising:

(a) a padding station containing a pad mangle consisting of an upper and a lower pressure roller having a contact region therebetween, said pad mangle having an entry side to and an exit side from said contact region; and

(b) a steaming station; the improvement comprising, in combination:

(i) conveying means having a discharge end and being adapted for carrying a mattress of said loose fiber stock to the vicinity of said pad mangle on the entry side thereof, and there unloading said stock at a level substantially corresponding to that of said contact region,

(ii) pusher means disposed between the discharge end of said conveying means and said contact region, and

(iii) drive means for imparting reciprocating movement to said pusher means, whereby the latter, during each movement away from said discharge end and toward said contact region, push a portion of said mattress into the said region.

3. The improvement as defined in claim 2, further comprising:

(iv) means for applying a film of said impregnation liquor to said upper cylinder on said entry side of said pad mangle, in such a manner as to cause the film to flow downwardly over the surface of said upper roller into said contact region;

whereby said loose filter stock is impregnated with said impregnation liquor and simultaneously compressed in said contact region.

4. The improvement as defined in claim 2, further comprising:

(v) means disposed on the exit side of the pad mangle in contact with said upper and lower roller, and being adapted for scraping off loose stock adhering to said rollers, and for conveying a mat of compressed and impregnated fibrous material emerging on the exit side of said pad mangle from said contact region toward said steaming station.

5. The improvement as defined in claim 2, wherein said pusher means are in the form of an elongated blade disposed so that it extends parallel with said contact region.

6. The improvement as defined in claim 2, wherein said drive means defined under (iii) comprise an eccentric drive and a connecting rod from said eccentric drive to said pusher means.

7. The improvement as defined in claim 2, wherein said pusher means reciprocate substantially in the plane extending through said contact region at right angle to the plane in which the axes of said upper and lower rollers are located.

8. The improvement as defined in claim 3, wherein said means as defined under (iv) are adapted for discharging said impregnation liquor in the upper quarter of the surface of said upper roller on the entry side of said pad mangle, and wherein said conveying means as defined under (i) comprise a stationary chute adapted for guiding a mattress of said loose stock sliding down said chute toward said pusher means at such an angle that the upper surface of said mattress comes into contact with said film on said upper roller prior to entering said contact region.

9. The improvement as defined in claim 2, wherein said conveying means as defined under (i) comprise a stationary chute adapted for guiding a mattress of said loose stock sliding down said chute toward said pusher means.

10. The improvement as defined in claim 9, wherein a slot is provided in said chute which slot is located substantially in a geometrical plane extending through said contact region which plane is practically tangential to both said upper and said lower rollers, and wherein said pusher means are in the form of an elongated blade which is disposed so that it extends parallel with said contact region, said blade being displaceably mounted in said slot.

11. In an apparatus for the padding with an impregnation liquor and the subsequent heat-treatment in a humid medium, of loose stock of fibrous material, comprising a padding station and a steaming station, said padding station having (1) a pad mangle consisting of an upper and a lower pressure roller having a contact region therebetween, said pad mangle having an entry and an exit side to and from said contact region;

(2) means for applying a film of impregnation liquor to said pad mangle;

(3) conveying means for conveying a mattress of loose fiber stock to said pad mangle on the entry side thereof; and

(4) means disposed on the exit side of the pad mangle for conveying a mat of compressed and impregnated fibrous material emerging from said pad mangle to said steaming station, the improvement consisting of said steaming station comprising (5) an elongated steam chamber having a feed opening in the upper portion thereof and a discharge opening at the end of said chamber opposite said feed opening;

(6) means for guiding said mat coming from said pad mangle into said feed opening of said steam chamher and simultaneously sealing the latter against substantial losses of steam from said steam chamber; and

(7) steam injection means disposed inside said steam chamber near the feed opening thereof and adapted for directing steam into contact with said guiding means defined under (6), thereby heating the mat of fibrous material as it enters said steam chamber.

12. The improvement defined in claim 11, wherein said steaming station further comprises:

(8) conveying means inside said steam chamber for transporting steamed material from the vicinity of said feed opening toward said discharge opening;

(9) means disposed in the lower portion of said steam chamber and adapted for introducing steam into the fibrous material which is being transported on said conveying means defined under (8); and

(10) means for discharging the steamed fibrous material through said discharge opening from said steam chamber and simultaneously sealing said discharge opening of said steam chamber against substantial losses of steam from the latter.

13. The improvement defined in claim 11, wherein the conveying means defined under (6) are a pair of guide rollers of low contact pressure, so that said mat can pass therethrough into said steam chamber essentially with the same moisture content as it has upon emerging from said pad mangle.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 675,408 6/ 1901 Peltzer 689 2,340,456 2/ 1944 Dinley 1966 X 2,552,078 5/1951 Williams '689 X 3,314,256 4/1967 Walsh et al 68-22 WILLIAM 1. PRICE, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 

